


All it took was getting blown up and a joke

by TallyIV



Category: NCIS
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fluff, Gibbs isn’t really, Gibbs tries to be a hard as, Gibbs' Rules, Guns, OFC gets shot, OFC is new team member, PTSD, Sass, Survivor Guilt, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-11
Updated: 2021-02-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 04:47:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29362734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TallyIV/pseuds/TallyIV
Summary: What will it take for Gibbs to except this new young agent onto the team?
Relationships: Jethro Gibbs/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 9





	All it took was getting blown up and a joke

**Author's Note:**

> This work has canon typical violence. Mentions of PTSD and survivor guilt. If that triggers you please don’t read or proceed with caution.   
> Stay safe plz  
> Thank you.  
> TallyIV

Gibbs had told himself that he wouldn't get attached to any more agents, after Kate and Zivas’ deaths it just hurt to much, Not that his heart listened to his head.

Tally was the new probi on the team, young, smart, spunky, everybody liked her. Tony practicality adopted her as his younger sister, so did Abby. She actually listened to Ducky and Palmers’ stories, put up with Tony’s pranks and got her work done on time. But Gibbs was still hard on her, harder on her then anyone else, on the range he was quick with corrections in-spite of the fact that she shot better than Tony and McGee. Her reports always had something wrong with them and her work was always flawed.

One Sunday they all were called into work, Tony was there first (other than Gibbs) then McGee and Abby, soon Ducky showed up, 20 minutes later Tally stomped out of the elevator a long plastic box in one hand a large black bag in the other. Instead of her usual comfortable yet professional clothing she was wearing jeans, a black tee shirt and worn combat boots, her long hair was braided back and She had a ball cap on with a stylized sight picture on it. 

Tony instantly jumped on the teasing, “oh oh what was probi doing? That's a lot of stuff kiddo? And late too, boss isn't going to like this”   
She ignored him.  
“Such a bad mood, did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed?!”   
She put her stuff behind her desk, and sat at her computer. Scrubbing her face with her hands. Tony got up and moved to examine the box. He juggled it, “what's this probi?!” She glared at him “Keep touching it and I'll show you but your not going to like how I do it!” She growled.  
“That's no way to talk to your senior field agent” he said sitting down at his own desk again.  
“Yes keep talking Tony I'd love to find out what a .308 win round does to a person’s head at 5 feet”. Tony laughed at that, knowing she wouldn't.  
“ Now please tell me it was at least an interesting case to drag us here today!”   
Just then Gibbs walked it “Why Smoak, have somewhere to be?!”   
“Yes actually I do, a range with perfect conditions, 56 degrees, 0 wind, 14 degree elevation change out to 1500 yards and no one else in sight and a M24 just begging to be shot”.  
“I'm sure the Navy Seal that went missing in Afghanistan sends his condolences, now get to work all of you” he yelled, “Smoak a word” he scowled at her as she got up to follow him into the hall.  
Once there he turned to her, “Sass me like that again and I will kick you off the team is that understood?!”  
She looked down, “yes boss” she said timidity “sorry”. He was shocked she almost seemed to be cowering away from him.   
“Don't apologize”   
“Yes boss”   
“Now go home and pack your coming with me to Afghanistan, airport in 30 minutes.”  
“Yes boss” and she scrabbled to get to her desk before heading out the elevator headed home. Gibbs watched her wondering why she was so scared of him. But he soon just shook his head and got back to work.

In Afghanistan after mission completed.

There mission was complete and Gibbs was pretty satisfied, in spite of the fact that the SEAL turned out to be dead no good men were disgraced. Tally had done really well, even made friends with the hardened men they had gone to help. Really good friends with them, she had sat down with one that he hadn't been able to get to open up and just started talking guns with him, telling about the guns she had back home. The man had told her everything they needed to know after that. Which was why she was riding in a different hummer than Gibbs on their way to the Air field, the men wanted a little more time with their new friend, who brightened their hard lives just a little bit while she was there. Gibbs thoughts were on her evaluation when the hummer in front of his (the one Tally was riding in) was hit by an IED in the road. The men around him burst into action, going through procedures long established. 

Suddenly the back door to the hummer in front of them opened up and a small head covered with a far to big Kevlar helmet slowly peaked out scanning the ground and buildings around. The person seemed satisfied because soon the whole body appeared then the figure hoisted a much bigger body over its shoulders. The carrier stumbled a little under the weight but stayed upright before setting her feet, in an instant she was sprinting towards his hummer and it took her no more than a minute to get there.

The Marines and SEALs around him took the man she was carrying from her and started first aid in the back of the hummer. Gibbs pulled her up into the hummer by her arm, “Get in here Smoak”  
“Here is another guy alive in there Boss, I… we… somebody’s gotta help him”.  
“They will Agent now sit”  
“Yes Boss” she sat next to him as their hummer pulled out heading on its way. 

As they drove she started to relax a little before tensing up again, then Gibbs noticed the blood spot which he had thought was from then man she had carried was growing,  
“Smoak, were you hit by anything”  
“I'm fine boss just some scrapes” cough “and maybe some smoke inhalation” cough cough she was coughing for real now one hand clutching her abdomen, the other over her mouth.  
They pulled into the Airfield and drove straight to the field hospital there. The medics rushed the men hurt in the explosion into the hospital, it was a few minutes before someone seemed to remember that the agents were there. By that time Gibbs had Tally out of the Hummer, she nearly collapsed when she tried to stand on her own.  
“Come on Tally” he said  
She looked at him confused “you know Boss I think that is the first time you have used my first name”.  
“Yeah well you deserve it after this”  
“Thanks, but I still say I should have played hooky and stayed at the range, a conditions like that don't happen often”  
“What have I said about sassing me agent?”  
He moved her to rest against the side of the building.  
“Right, sorry boss”  
“I'm gunna lift your shirt to get a look at what happened ok kid”  
“Ya, but its starting to hurt more, I think the adrenaline is wearing off”  
When he lifted her shirt he was expecting a gash or shrapnel, not a bullet wound. He looked up as saw her starting to fade out into unconsciousness.  
“It's not that bad kid, you'll be good in no time, but you have to stay awake you might have a concussion”.  
“That's good, about it not being bad, I know about staying awake boss, I don't want a stutter, no one would take me serious as an agent with a stutter, (she raised her hand forming a finger gun) ddddddrrroopp ththththehe gugugugugun (in a funny voice), see not very intimidating”   
Grubbs dropped his head a slight chuckle escaping his lips, “yeah I suppose your right Kidd”  
She beamed up at him, “there it is, finally broke the ice, and all it took was a IED” finally a medic came out to check on them and she was rushed into the hospital. 

After surgery she was shipped back to the USA to recover there. Gibbs was by her side the whole time, helping her. She was wheel chair bound until the doctors in the states could evaluate her condition apparently the bullet had nicked her spine. 

The whole team was there waiting when he wheeled her down the ramp, even Abby and Ducky were there. All very worried and fussed over Tally, leaving Gibbs a little wanting for attention. Tony took Tally from Gibbs pushing her towards the waiting van but Gibbs just stood there. Ducky noticed that, “You ok Jethro?”   
“Ya Ducky, just thinking”  
Ducky followed his gaze to where the team was helping Tally get into the ambulance,   
“Ah yes, the nonfeeling approach didn't work did it, she still wormed her way into your heart?”  
“She was very brave Ducky”  
“Yes she was I think as much worthy of your acceptance as Kate or Ziva were”  
Gibbs just gave him a look before walking off.

A couple months later Tally’s been back at work for a bit, its a Friday night and everyone as gone home when Gibbs walks into the squad room, seeing a light on at Tally’s desk he walks over, “Smoak, I thought I sent you home?”  
“You did and I went home but then I came back, I need to finish up some work, also I got this in the mail today” she gestured to a box beside her in the desk, “it's addressed from the SEAL unit we helped”.   
“You gunna open it?”   
“Yeah”, she took in a big breath before clicking open her knife and slicing open the box. Opening it up the first thing she took out was a picture of the team then a note: 

Agent Smoak,

We want to thank you and your boss for your help in our previous situation but more specifically you for saving one of our own. You will be pleased to hear that he is making a full recovery and may soon be back on the pointy end of the stick. We all chipped in to get you this present hopefully it will speed your own recover along. Your boss said you lost a similar piece on a mission a while ago, thought we would replace it.

Yours,  
SEAL team ___

Next she pulled a box about the size of a tissue box out, it was of a beautiful red wood, she raised her eye brow at Gibbs he just motioned her to continue. She flipped the latch and opened it, inside nestled in the deep blue satin was a beautiful Walter PPK pistol and next to it rested a challenge coin.   
“Wow” she sat back in her chair her eyes big.  
“You ok kidd?” Asked Gibbs a bit concerned.  
“Yeah its just its such a nice gift, and I… I don't think I deserve it, I mean didn't even want to be there then the hummer blew up and and I was so scared, but I knew if I didn't at least try to help them I'd be a coward and” she put her head in her hand her whole body shaking “and I'm still scared Gibbs, I'm so scared”  
He moved around the desk and squatted down beside her, “why are you still scared Tally?”  
“Because it happens over and over in my head and I think maybe it was my fault” she was near tears at this point.  
“It wasn't your fault” he said his hand going to her shoulder, (god she is skinny, he thought)  
“But I told a joke and they were all laughing and I... if they hadn't been they might have seen it, this good men wouldn't be dead”  
At that Gibbs turned her chair to face him and pulled her hands away from her face to see the tears streaming down, “Look at me Tally” she did and he raised his hands to her cheeks brushing away her tears, “It wasn't your fault, if those men were here they would say it wasn't your fault, you know what else they would say?” She shook her head “They would be glad they went that way, fast and while they were laughing because it is better then you dying, the person they were protecting or bleeding out in some hole somewhere”. More tears were spilling down her face, he wiped those away too, “Thank you Gibbs”   
“Yeah Kidd, come on I'll make you a steak”  
“It's been a long time since I've had a good steak” she closed up the boxes and put them in some drawers. She hadn't gotten up yet.  
“You coming?”  
“Yeah, but um how do you feel about a dog in your house?”  
She got up and from the darkness beneath her desk a sleek all black husky appeared blue eyes regarding Gibbs who smirked  
“He's fine as long as he behaves”  
“Thanks, come one Edmund” as she rushed to join Gibbs into the elevator. He turned to her as she stepped in Edmund at her heels.  
“I get why you brought him to work but Tally, Edmund?”  
“It's a long story Gibbs”  
And the elevator doors closed.  
Fin


End file.
